Astellas to use rugby to promote prostate-cancer awareness

Astellas Pharma developed a partnership with USA Rugby and the Australian Rugby Union to spread awareness about prostate cancer.

The campaign, #pass4prostate, hopes to call attention to the disease and generate financial support for four organizations: the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Australian Prostate Cancer Research, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Prostate Cancer Canada.

Astellas currently markets the advanced prostate-cancer treatment Xtandi. The drug was approved by the FDA in 2012.

Social-media users are encouraged to record themselves catching and throwing an object rugby-style—as a way of nominating friends and family—and also explain why prostate-cancer awareness is important to them, the drugmaker explained in a release.